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i.3  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

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Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommag^e 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

□    Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagdes 


D 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelliculde 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


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D 


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Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  gdographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  inl<  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
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mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  dt6  film^es. 


D 
0 
D 
0 
D 
D 
D 
El 


Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurdes  et/ou  pelliculdes 

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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


D 


Additional  comments:/ 
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This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  1\\m6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


^ 


12X 


16X 


20X 


UX 


28X 


32X 


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The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

IMaps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6tA  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettet*  de  l'exemplaire  f  ilm«,  at  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimto  sont  film4s  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniJkre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboies  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
derniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  seion  le 
cas:  le  symboie  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  carfss,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
film«s  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  ciich*,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  ra«?gle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  heut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imeges  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

THE  GOLD  FIELDS. 

The  gold  fields  of  Alaska,  placer  and  lode,  are  extensive.  The 
Yukon  placers  are  as  rich  as  any  in  the  known  world,  while  the 
quartz  deposits  are  of  unknown  extent.  The  United  States  Geo- 
logical Survey  expeditions  have  traced  the  lead  for  500  miles. 
The  Treadwell  Mill,  near  Juneau,  is  located  in  a  vast  region  inter- 
laced with  low-grade  free-milling  quartz  and  veins  containing  rich 
values  in  gold.  There  are  nine  other  smaller  mills  along  the  coast 
and  development  has  only  begun.  The  placers  of  the  Yukon  will 
doubtless  repeat  the  history  of  California  and  Australia,  and  add 
largely  to  the  world's  volume  of  yellow  metal. 

Gold  was  discovered  in  the  quartz  district  of  which  Juneau  is 
the  center,  by  Richard  Harris  and  Joseph  Juneau,  in  1880.  They 
organized  the  Harris  Mining  District,  and  staked  off  a  townsite 
which  they  called  Harrisburg.  They  returned  to  Sitka  with 
$14,000  in  gold  and  a  rush  followed.  In  1881  the  town  was  renamed 
Rockwell,  in  honor  of  a  United  States  naval  lieutenant,  but  next 
year  the  miners  voted  to  call  it  Juneau.  The  discovery  of  placer 
and  quartz  on  Douglas  Island  was  made  in  1881,  and  several 
thousand  dollars  taken  out  each  season  until  1884,  when  the  chief 
claims  were  bought  by  John  Treadwell,  the  beginning  of  the 
famous  mines  from  which  enough  ore  has  been  taken  to  pay  the 
original  cost  of  the  country.  The  mill  now  runs  240  stamps,  the 
largest  battery  in  the  world,  and  the  ore  in  si^ht  cannot  be  ex- 
hausted in  100  years  at  the  present  capacity  of  1,500  tons  a  day, 
yielding  a  net  profit  of  $1.70  a  ton,  the  cost  of  milling  per  ton  being 
$1.25.  The  mill  never  stops  except  for  repairs.  The  Mexico  Mill 
near  by  runs  120  stamps.  There  are  eight  other  gold  stamp  mills 
along  the  coast. 

The  existence  of  gold  has  been  known  for  several  yearsin  the 
Yukon  district,  and  mines  have  been  working  with  varying  success 
along  Birch,  Miller,  American  and  other  streams  south  of  Circle 
City.  One  claim  on  Miller  Creek  has  yielded  over  $100,000.  Min- 
ing methods  are  very  primitive  and  the  work  is  carried  on  under 
difficulties.  The  ground  is  frozen  and  the  progress  is  slow.  The 
discoveries  on  the  Klondike  were  so  rich  that  miners  worked 
during  the  winter  by  building  wood  tires  and  melting  the  frozen 
earth,  and  in  that  way  reached  bed  rock  and  made  tunnels  through 
the  pay  streaks.  Blasting  will  do  no  good,  the  charge  not  crack- 
ing off,  but  blowing  out  of  the  hole.  The  gravel  is  taken  out  as  it 
melts  and  piled  up  till  spring,  when  the  water  comes  and  it  is  panned 
or  cradled,  and  only  the  coarse  grains  and  nuggets  are  secured,  the 
fine  gold  escaping.  By  this  laborious  method  fortunes  were  taken 
out.  It  is  proposed  now  to  introduce  oil  blowers  after  the  style  of 
those  used  in  putting  down  asphalt  pavements,  which  make  intense 
heat  and  will  vastly  facilitate  the  labor.  Improved  machinery  of 
every  kind  will  no  doubt  be  taken  into  the  country  next  season. 

Wm.  Ogilvie,  the  well-known  Dominion  Surveyor  and  Bound- 
ary Commissioner,  says  in  a  report  to  his  government  that  the 
Klondike  region  alone  will  yield  hundreds  of  millionsof  dollars,  to 
judge  from  present  outlook.  Claims  have  only  been  worked  in 
spots  over  a  large  territory,  and  if  the  pay  dirt  continues  as  rich 
throughout  as  it  does  where  work  has  been  done,  and  there  is  no 
reason  why  it  should  not,  Mr.  Ogilvie's  assertion  will  be  verified. 
A  single  pan  of  gravel  has  yielded  as  high  as  S500,  and  four  men 
took  out  of  a  space  28  feet  scjuare  $90,000  in  ten  days.  Before  the 
boats  left  Dawson  City  in  the  spring  of  1897  tons  of  gold  lay 
unguarded  in  cabins  of  the  miners.  It  is  estimated  that  at  least 
$8,000,000  went  out  in  sums  of  §5,000  to  $100,000  belonging  to  men 
who  had  wrested  these  fortunes  from  the  frozen  ground  during 
the  preceding  winter.  The  mines  are  not  on  the  Klondike  proper, 
but  on  Bonanza,  Hunker,  Bear  and  other  small  tributaries.  Bo- 
nanza empties  into  the  Klondike  about  a  mile  from  its  mouth. 
Hunker  Creek  is  14  miles  above,  and  Eldorado  is  a  branch  of  Bo- 
nanza. It  was  on  Gold  Bottom  Creek,  a  branch  of  Hunker,  that 
the  first  discovery  was  made.  It  must  not  be  imagined  that  the 
Klondike  includes  all  or  even  a  considerable  part  of  an  immense 
country.  As  a  stream  it  was  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  secure 
a  place  on  the  early  maps. 

John  Muir,  for  whom  the  great  glacier  is  named,  and  whose 
knowledge  of  that  country  is  extensive,  is  of  the  opinion  that  the 
gold  yield  6f  Alaska  will  exceed  the  output  of  California,  a  state 
that  has  already  produced  an  amount  in  excess  of  $500,000,000. 


Gen  W.  W.  Duffield.  Chief  of  the  Unitei 
Geodetic  Survey,  reports  that  enormous  deposii 
quartz  exist-and  can  be  easily  reached  in  the  i 
and  his  behef  is  that  stamp  mills  iu/the  future  ' 
and  profitable  entployment  at  m^ny    points. 

"On  Annette  Island,  in  the- Archipelago, 
richest  gold  mother  lodes  in  the  world.    At  pn 
reservation  occupied  by  Indians  under  the  co 
missionary,  Henry  Duncan."    The  law  setting 
vation  was  passeci  March  ^,  1891,  and  is  as  foil 

"That  until  otherwise  provided  by  law,  the  body  of  1; 
Island,  situated  in  Alexander  Archipelago,  in  Southeastei 
side  of  Dixon's  Entrance,  be  and  the  same  is  hereby  se 
for  the  use  of  the  Metlakahtlan  Indians  and  those  peot 
lans  who  have  recently  emigrated  from  British  Colunu 
•ther  Alaskan  natives  as  may  join  them,  to  be  held  and  u 
under  such  rules  and  regulations  and  subject  to  such  res 
scribed  from  time  to  time  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interioi 

Unless  these  alien  Indians,  who  have  no  t 
soil,  are  accorded  different  or  better  treatment 
by  American  Indians,  with  whom  we  have  tr 
the  soil,  the  mineral  land  upon  Annette  Island 
from  that  which  is  used  by  the  Indians  for  fishi 
purposer.and  then  opentrd  to  exploration  and 
mineral  laws  of  the  United  States.  This  ha; 
formly  done  in  cases  where  valuable  minerals 
ered  on  lands  in  Indian  reservations,  even  wh 
reserved  by  treaty,  the  Indians  being  the  orij 
soil,  and  there  car  be  no  doubt  that  this  will  be 
Island.  A  movement  is  now  under  way  to  i 
open  it  up. 

YUKON  SETTLEMENTS 

Mining  operations  have  been  carried  on  ii 
for  a  dozen  years.     In   1894  about  300  men  w 
entered;  in  1896,  over  1,000.     In  1897  it  is  pro 
than  5,000  went  in  to  seek  riches,  while  severa 
reached  the  pass  entrances  too  late  to  get  o' 
settlements  on  the    Yukon  are   Forty- Mile    I 
Circle  City,  Dawson  City  and  Weare.    Circle  ( 
in  1894  and  is  the  distributing  point  for  a  larg 
Miller,  Birch,  American  and  other  gold-beari: 
is  also  a  trading  post  at  Fort  Selkirk.    Dawson 
of  the  Klondike,  and  was  founded  in  Septem 
Ladue,  and  named  in  honor  of  a  well-knowi 
It  is  close  to  Fort  Reliance,  seen  on  many  of  t 
was  headquarters  for  fur   traders   and   trapi 
wandered  over  the  rich  placer  grounds  withe 
under  their  feet.     Fort  Cudahy  is  named  for 
firm  of  Cudahy  Bros.,  the  Chicago  meat  pac 
in  the  North  American  Transportation  and 
This  company  has  two  boats  on  the  Yukon  an 
in  service  next  season.     The  Alaska  Comme 
has  two  boats  running  from  St.  Michael  up  tl 
of  Weare,  named  after  Porteus  B.  Weare,  a  lea 
of  Chicago  and  one  of  the  North  American 
Trading  Company,  is  located  on  the  Yukon 
Tanana  River,  the  latter  draining  a  large  c 
placer  and  quartz  deposits.    Circle  City  an 
American  side  of  the  line,  while  the  others  a 
tory.   Buildings  in  all  the  places  are  of  logs  an 
Weare  is  talked  of  as  the  capital  of  the  propc 
Lincoln,  which  is  to  include  the  Yukon  count 

HOW  TO  REACH  THE  YUKON  GO 

SEATTLE  is  the  gateway  to  Alaska.     It 
Alaskan  ports  than  San  Francisco.     It  is  ne 
via  the  Great  Northern,  than  any  other  city 
It  is  prepared,  from  long  experience,  to  f 
pack  outfits  for  prospectors. 

To  reach  Seattle,  take  the  trains  of  the  C 
way  at  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  or  Duluth,  whic 
Depots  with  lines  from  the  East  and  South 

Steamers  will  leave  Seattle  daily  for  J 
Dyea;  about  twice  a  week  for  St.  Michael  ai: 
There  are  five  known  passes  from  the  south 
to  the  interior,  viz.:  Up  Stikeen  River  fro 
Taku  Inlet  from  Juneau;  over  Chilkoot  Pass 
over  White  Pass  from  Skaguay;  over  Chilk; 


)i 


T 


Id,  Chief  of   the  United  States  Coast  ami 

s  that  enormous  deposits  of  low-^rade  gold 

e  easily  reached  in  the  islands  cf  the  coast, 

imp  mills  in/the  future  will  find  permanent 

ment  at  many    points.     He   further  says  : 

i,  in  the- Archipelago,  there  is  one  of  the 

ies  in  the  world.    At  present  the  island  is  a 

y  Indians  under  the  control  of  the  Scotch 

ican."     The  law  setting  it  apart  as  a  reser- 

ch  3,  1891,  and  is  as  follows: 

■(>vided  by  law,  the  body  of  lands  known  as  Annette 

r  Archipelago,  in  Southeastern  Alaska,  on  the  nortli 

e  and  the  same  is  hereby  set  apart  as  a  reservation 

htlau  Indians  and  those  people  known  as  Metlakaht- 

igrated  from  British  Columbia  to  Alaska,  and  such 

ly  join  them,  to  be  held  and  used  by  them  in  common 

tions  and  subject  to  such  restrictions  as  may  be  pre- 

y  tiie  Secretary  of  the  Interior.'' 

Indians,  who  have  no  title  or  claim  to  the 

rent  or  better  treatment  than  that  received 

with  whom  we  have  treated  as  owners  of 

11(1  upon  Annette  Island  will  be  segregated 

i  by  the  Indians  for  fishing  and  commercial 

nra  to  exploration  and  purchase  under  the 

Jnited  States.     This  has  been  almost   uni- 

where  valuable  minerals  have  been  discov- 

m  reservations,  even  where  they  have  been 

e  Indians  being  the  original  owners  of  the 

no  doubt  that  this  will  be  done  as  to  Annette 

:  is  now  under  way  to  induce  Congress  to 

JKON  SETTLEMENTS. 

have  been  carried  on  in  the  Yukon  region 
n  1894  about  300  men  went  in;  in  1895,  600 
1,000.  In  1897  it  is  probable  that  not  less 
seek  riches,  while  several  thousand  persons 
ranees  too  late  to  get  over.  The  principal 
fukon  are  Forty- Mile  Post,  Fort  Cudahy, 
Mty  and  Weare.  Circle  City  was  established 
ributing  point  for  a  large  district,  including 
an  and  other  gold-bearing  streams.  There 
at  Fort  Selkirk.  Dawson  City  is  at  the  mouth 
was  founded  in  September,  i8c/3,  by  Joseph 
1  honor  of  a  well-known  Canadian  official, 
iance,  seen  on  many  of  the  maps.  This  post 
'  fur  traders  and  trappers  who  for  years 
:h  placer  grounds  without  knowing  what  was 
t  Cudahy  is  named  for  Jacob  Cudahy,  of  the 
,  the  Chicago  meat  packers,  and  interested 
an  Transportation  and  Trading  Company. 

0  boats  on  the  Yukon  and  two  more  will  be 
[1.  The  Alaska  Commercial  Company  also 
[  from  St.  Michael  up  the  river.  The  town 
r  Porteus  B.  Weare,  a  leading  grain  merchant 
of  the  North  American  Transportation  and 

located  on  the  Yukon  at  the  mouth  of  the 
itter  draining  a  large  district  abounding  in 
^posits.  Circle  City  and  Weare  are  on  the 
line,  while  the  others  are  in  Canadian  terri- 
the  places  are  of  logs  and  chinked  with  moss. 

the  capital  of  the  proposed  new  Territory  of 
nclude  the  Yukon  country  of  Alaska. 

\CH  THE  YUKON  GOLD  FIELDS. 

gateway  to  Alaska.  It  is  800  miles  nearer 
San  Francisco.  It  is  nearer  the  east  by  rail, 
rn,  than  any  other  city  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

1  long  experience,  to  furnish  and  properly 
ectors. 

take  the  trains  of  the  Great  Northern  Rail- 
leapolis  or  Duluth,  which  connect  in  Union 
m  tne  East  and  South. 

ve  Seattle  daily  for  Juneau,  Skaguay  and 
week  for  St.  Michael  and  the  upper  Yukon. 

Basses  from  the  southeastern  strip  of  coast 
fp  Stikeen  River  from  Fort  Wrangel;  up 
:au;  over  Chilkoot  Pass  from  Taiya,  (Dyea); 
n  Skaguay;  over  Chilkat  Pass  from  Haines 


^^^ssion.  The  last  three  passes  are  at  the  head  of  Lynn  Canal, 
north  of  Jiineau.  Sitka  claims  a  route  via  Yakutat  bay,  thence 
over  the  mountains  to  White  River,  and  routes  via  Copper  River 
and  Cook  Inlet  are  talked  of.  -, 

The  Chilkoot  Pass  is  used  more  than  any  other,  for  the  reason 
it  is  only  twenty-four  miles  from  tide  water  to  navigation  in  Lake 
Lindeman  on  the  other  side.  The  main  difficulty  is  in  carrying 
supplies,  which  up  to  the  present  are  packed  on  the  backs  of'  the 
owners,  on  horses,  or  else  Indians,  who  charge  in  accordance  with 
the  demand  for  their  services.  The  new  or  inexpeiienced  man 
cannot  carry  more  than  forty  to  fifty  pounds  at  a  time.  Goods  arc 
"tot,ed"  in  this  way,  by  portage  or  relays,  until  the  whole  outtit  is 
deposited  cm  the,  banks  of  the  lake.  Dogs  and  sleds  can  be  of 
assistance  in  theearly  spring,  when  the  snow  is  in  condition,  ami 
the  entire  trip  to  the  mines  made  in  that  way.  In  the  summer 
and  fall,  when  the  river  is  open,  "boats,  are  used.  It  is  possible 
that  by  the  time  the  season  opens  in  1898..  a  wire-rope  traniwav 
hoist  or  other  like  device  will  be  in  position  to-take  goods  over  at 
reasonable  cost.  Various  projects  are  in  hand  for  trails,  road- 
ways, railways,  etc.,  at  the  different  passes,  and  the  new  year  will 
not  go  by  without  some  feasible  and  easier  method  of  transporta- 
tion being  established.  If  all  the  propositions  for  quick  and  easv 
transportation  materialize  even  in  part,  there  will  be  but  little 
trouble  to  reach  the  gold  diggings  during  1898. 

The  all-water  route  by  St.  Micha.el  and  the  Yukon  River  is  a 
trip  over  4,000  miles  from  Seattle,  as  compared  with  1,500  miles 
by  the  passes.  The  Yukon  is  open  for  navigation  less  than  five 
months.  Extensive  arrangements  are  being  made  by  the  existing 
companies,  as  well  as  new  organizations,  to  meet  the  demands  of 
travel  and  trade  on  all  routes. 

PORTLAND  is  actively  in  the  field  for  the  Alaska  trade.  It 
is  the  oldest  and  largest  city  on  the  upper  coast,  and  amply  pre- 
pared to  take  care  or  any  outfitting  demand.  The  Great  Northern 
gives  the  most  direct  service  to  that  city  from  the  east.  Steamers 
for  Skaguay  and  Dyea  will  leave  Portland  about  every  four  days. 

Tacoma  is  Seattle's  neighbor  on  Puget  Sound  and  Alaska 
steamers  leave  both  cities  the  same  day. 

The  Pacific  Steam  Whaling  Company's  steamers  will  leave 
Seattle  weekly,  after  February  ist,  for  Copper  River  and  Prince 
William  Sound. 

From  ?.pr\\  to  October  the  Alaska  Commercial  Company's 
steamers  run  between  Sitka  and  Yakutat,  Copper  River,  Prince 
William  Sound,  Cook  Inlet,  Kodiak,Shumagin  Islands  and  Dutch 
Harbor.     See  steamer  track  on  map. 

.Sailing  dates  of  the  different  lines,  as  determined  upon  later, 
will  be  furnished  to  all  applicants  by  any  agent  of  the  Great 
Northern  whose  name  appears  in  list  on  map  side  of  this  folder. 

TABLE  OF  DISTANCES. 

From  St.  Paul,  via  the  Great  Northern,  to  Seattle,  1,823  miles; 
from  Seattle  to  Dyea,  884  miles  (Skaguay  is  4  miles  from  Dyea). 
From  Dyea  {Taiya)  distances  are  as  follows: 

TOTALS.  T  1       »    /-.  POINT  TO  POINT. 

6      miles  to  Head  of  Canoe  Navigation 6 

i6?i'  "  Summit  of  Chilkoot  Pass loJi 

26'2  "  Head  of  Lake  Lindeman qH 

34';  '•  Foot  of  Lake  Lindeman 8 

3:'i  "  Head  of  Lake  Bennett  i 

b\%  "  Foot  of  Lake  Bennett 2ii]i 

6454  "  Foot  of  Caribou  Crossing 2fi 

81  ;i  "  Foot  of  Tagish  Lake ibii 

mi  "  Head  of  Lake  Marsh 5 

lobli  "  Foot  of  Lake  Marsh 20 

12^  "  HeadofCanon 16^ 

I2}>i  "  Foot  of  Canon j| 

i2i]i  "  Head  of  White  Horse  Rapids i^ 

140  "  Tahkeenah  River  ji^ 

n6  "  Head  of  Lake  Leberge 10 

187  "  Foot  of  Lake  Leberge 31 

216  '.'  Hootalinqua  River 20 

242  "  Cassair  Bar 26 

249  "  Big  Salmon  River 7 

28554  "  Little  Salmon  River , 3b\i 

344  "  Five  Fingers  Rapids 58J4 

350  "  Rink  Rapids 6 

40-?«^  "  Felly  River  (Fort  Selkirk)  syA 

499^  "  WhiteRiver g6 

509  "  Stewart  River q}4 

529  "  Sixty-Mile  Post 20 

549  "  Dawson  City  (Klondike) 20 

?89  "  Fort  Reliance 40 

629  ■'  Forty-Mile  .Post 40 

62<)}i  "  FortCudahy 'A 

Hrq  "  Circle  City 249M 

6 


By  Wliite  I'ass,  via  SkaKuay,  tlie  distaiKu  tu  tliu  lakes  is  several  miles 
lonKer,  while  by  the  Chilkat  Pas8  and  Dalton's  Trail  It  is  about  400  miles  over- 
ian(l  to  old  Furt  Selkirk  at  the  junction  ot  the  Lewes  and  Pellv  Rivers.  Tliert-  is 
a  pass  east  of  Juneau  via  the  Talcu  Inlet,  which  leads  no  miles  to  Lake  I'eslin. 
From  F^ort  W  rangel  up  the  Stikeen  River  and  overland  to  Lake  Teslin  it  is 
about  300  miles.and  then  down  the  lake  and  Hootalinqua  (Teslin)  River  to  Lev  es 
River  and  Dawson  Citv  al)out  i;oo  more. 

'I'lie  all-water  route  is  via  tfie  ocean  to  St.  Michael,  2,700  miles  from  Seattle, 
stopping  en  mule  at  Dutch  Harbor,  on  one  of  the  .Aleutian  Islands,  i,.Soc)  miles. 
From  St.  .Micliael  the  distance  is,  appro.xiniately,  to  Dawson  City.  1,600  miles, 
divided  as  follows:  St.  Michael  to  Kutlik,  100;  Kutlik  to  .Xndreatski,  12-; 
.•\ndreafski  to  Holy  Cross,  145;  Holy  Cross  to  Koserefsky,  ;;  Koserelsky  to 
.\nvik,  75;  .Aiivik  to  Nulato,  225;  Nulato  to  Novikakat,  14:;  Novikakat  to  (Weare) 
I'anaiia  River,  So;  Tanana  to  Fort  Yukon,  450;  Fort  Vukon  to  Circle  City.  So; 
Circle  City  to  l"orty-Mile,  240;  Forty-Mile  to  Dawson  City,  52.  The  jJares 
namediilontj  the  \iikon  are  Kciiernlly  Indian  villages  and  wood  statio  >  where 
missions  .ire  maintained  by  dilferent  religious  bodies.  F"ort  \'ukon  is  abo  e  the 
.Arctic  Circle. 

WHAT  IT  WILL  COST. 

Railway  tickets  can  be  bought  of  coupon  agents  in  all  principal 
railway  offices  east  and  south  direct  to  Seattle  via  St.  Paul  and 
the  Great  Northern  Railway,  the  shortest  route  by  over  100  miles 
to  that  city.  The  Great  Northern  train  i«  vestibuled  and  includes 
;)alace  and  tourist  sleepers  and  high-back-seated  coaches.  Meals 
are  served  in  dining  car,  a  la  carte,  twenty-five  cents  and  up, 
according  to  one's  appetite  and  desire  for  variety. 

The  tourist  car  is  provided  with  range,  so  that  passengers  car- 
rying lunch  baskets  can  warm  food  and  make  tea  and  coffee.  The 
library  car  contains  boots,  writing  desks,  barber  chair,  bath  room, 
etc.     It  is  less  than  three  days  run  to  Seattle. 

Steamers  make  the  trip  to  Juneau,  Skaguay  and  Dyea  in  four 
.  days.  The  passenger  fares  from  Seattle  prevailing  this  season 
(1898)  are  as  follows: 

WranKel.       .       .       .       First  class,  $;i0.no    Second  class,  $20.n() 

Juneau "  3.j.(K)  "  2'.'.(iO 

Skaguay  and  Dyea,     .  "  5(UK)  "  3.").<i0 

Sitka "  50.f^  "  a."").!* 

()rca.\'aldes  BavCCuppcrCity), 

I'ortage  Bay,      .        .  "  W.OO  '•  70.00 

To  Dawson  City,  via  St.  Michael,  *'J5(l  to  4300. 
Thv  same  rates  are  in  effect  from  Portland. 

With  each  first  and  second-class  ticket  1 50  pounds  of  baggage  is 
carried  and  excess  is  charged  for  at  the  rate  of  three  cents  per  pound. 

Miners'  outfits,  provisions,  general  merchandise,  etc.,  are 
charged  for  at  the  rate  of  Sq  per  ton,  weight  or  measurement  at 
the  ship's  option,  to  Juneau,  and  $13  per  ton  to  Skaguay  and  Uyea. 
The  rates  on  live  stock  (horses,  mules  and  cattle)  burros  and 
dogs  are  as  follows  : 

Wrangel, 

Juneau, 

Skaguay  and  Dyea, 

Rates  may  vary  for  the  season  of  i8g8,  and  prospectors  will  do 

well  to  correspond  with  agents  of  the  Great  Northern  Railway 

before  they  start,  and  get  the  latest  figures. 

WHEN  TO  GO. 

There  are  two  ways  of  getting  into  the  interior — one  all  water, 
via  the  ocean,  St.  Michael  and  the  Yukon  River,  a  trip  of  4,000 
miles,  possible  from  about  June  ist  to  September  30th;  the  other 
over  the  mountains  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Yukon.  For  the 
overland  route,  the  spring  months  give  better  roads  across  the 
mountain  passes,  the  rivers  are  frozen,  and  with  dogs  and  sleds 
the  trip  can  be  made  reasonably  easy  over  hard  snow  and  ice, 
with  exemption  from  insect  pests.  Dogs  should  be  taken  along 
from  the  East,  as  they  are  scarce  on  the  coast.  In  the  summer 
and  fall  the  rivers  are  open  and  boat?  can  be  used  for  the  trip, 
but  the  mountain  roads  are  slippery  and  muddy,  and  the  expense 
of  forwarding  supplies  now  exceeds  the  cost  of  the  goods.  Im- 
proved facilities  for  getting  over  the  mountains  and  down  the 
river  will  doubtless  be  in  operation  next  season.  The  Canadian 
mounted  police  have  established  a  station  at  Lake  Bennett, 
and  other  stations  will  be  located  at  a  distance  of  about  fifty  miles 
apart  along  the  river  to  Dawson  City. 

WHAT  TO  TAKE. 

No  one  should  think  of  going  to  the  diggings  without  taking 
along  clothing  and  provisions  for  a  year.  Conditions,  however,  are 
changing  very  rapidly,  and  by  the  close  of  the  season  of  1898  it 
may  not  be  necessary  for  mmers  to  carry  all  supplies  with  them. 
Every  boat  on  the  Pacific  coast  that  can  be  secured  will  go  into 
service  next  season,  new  boats  are  being  built,  and  vast  quantities 


LIVE   STOCK. 

BURROS. 

DOGS. 

$20.00 

$12.00 

$5.00 

22.  r* 

IS.-W 

5.00 

22.50 

IT.ijO 

7.-<0 

t 

-i 


of  goods  will  no  doubt  be  taken  into  the  inte 
River.    Competition  will  then  reduce  the  cost 
of  life  at  the  mines. 

Various  lists  of  articles  necessary  in  an  outfit 
have  been  prepared,  but  the  following  is  sai 
miners  to  fully  cover  every  demand: 

CLOTHING— 75  lbs.,  $100. 

1  pair  rubber  hi 

2  woolen  sweate 


1  clothes  bag. 

5  yards  mosquito  netting. 

3  suits  heavy  underwear. 

1  heavy  Mackinaw  coat. 

2  pair  heavy  Mackinaw  pants. 
2  dozen  lieavy  wool  socks. 

'i  dozen  heavy  wool  mitts. 
1  heavy  cap  and  1  soft  hat. 
1  broadbrim  hat. 

1  heavy  knit  scarf. 

2  pairs  leather  gloves. 
2  heavy  overshirts. 

2  pairs  iieavy  snag-proof  rubber  boots, 
1  pair  shoes. 


3  pair3  heavy  bl 
1  dozen  towels. 
6  pairs  overalls. 
1  suit  oil  clothir 
1  suit  corduroy. 

1  suit  tleece-line 

2  rubber  blanke 
1  sleeping  bag  ;i 
1  pair  felt  boots 
1  pair  heavy  rut 
Roll  of  flannel 

the  feet  and  1) 


150  pounds  bacon. 

250  pounds  Hour. 

25  pounds  peaches. 

25  pounds  apples. 

25  pounds  apricots. 

25  pounds  pitted  prunes. 

25  pounds  coffee,  in  tin  cans. 

10  pounds  tea,  in  tin  cans. 


GROCERIES— 1. 125  lbs.,  $8 

5  pounds  yeast. 


6  pounds  soda. 
10  pounds  salt. 

1  pound  pepper 
M  pound  niusta 
^4  pound  gingei 
5  pounds  cvapo 

2  dozen  conden: 
5  bars  tar  soap. 


150  pounds  beans. 

5  bars  laundry  . 

90  pounds  oatmeal. 

1  large  tin  box 

25  pounds  cornmeal. 

1  quart  evapor; 

100  pounds  rice. 

Assortment  soi 

5  pounds  baking  pow  ler. 

Tobacco  to  suit 

HARDWARE  AND  CAMP  OUTFIT—:^ 

1  pair  ice  creepers. 

C  teaspoons. 

1  knife  and  sheath. 

3  tablespoons. 

2  miners'  shovels. 

1  compass. 

1  spool  wire. 

1  hunter's  ax  a 

4  sail  needles. 

1  drawing  kni'j 

2  gold  pans. 

1  magnifying  g 

2  balls  twine. 

1  mixing  spoon 

'  j  dozen  8-inch  flat  files. 

1  dust  belt. 

1  handled  ax. 

1  whetstone. 

1  pick  and  two  handles. 

2  granite  cups. 

1  screwdriver. 

1  frypan. 

1  handsaw. 

1  retinned  dish 

1  wood  jackplane. 

1  four-quart  cot 

1  ratchet  brace 

1  coffee  mill. 

4  bits,  assorted  sizes. 

1  granite  kettle 

1  saw  set. 

3  granite  plates 

300  feet  rope. 

1  whipsaw. 

1  pack  and  1  shawl  strap. 

1  gold  scale. 

20  pounds  assorted  nails. 

1  sled. 

1  package  hobnails. 

1  tent. 

3  pounds  oakum. 

1  sheetiron  sto' 

5  pounds  pitch. 

1  box  candles. 

1  set  knives  and  forks  (six  each). 

I  spirit  thermo 

MEDIClNES-5  lbs.,  $io 

60  quinine  pills. 

1  ounce  tinctur 

50  compound  cathartic  pills. 

8  ounces  cough 

3  dozen  acetanilid  tablets. 

1  bottle  toothac 

1  box  chlorate  potash. 

1  bottle  vaselin 

6  mustard  plasters. 

2  drams  iodofo 

6  belladonna  plasters. 

2  yards  lint. 

4  ounces  carbolic  salve. 

•/4  dozen  assort 

8  ounces  chloroform  liniment. 

2  feet  rubber  a( 

1  pint  witch  hazel. 

4  ounces  absorl 

4  ounces  essence  ginger. 

Monsell's  salts 

4  ounces  paregoric. 

quantity  in  ; 

1  ounce  laudanum. 

person's  liab 

4  ounces  borax. 

trouble. 

1  ounce  tincture  iodine. 

1  pair  smoked 

2  ounces  spirits  nitre. 

snow  blindnt 

t  be  taken  into  the  interior  by  the  Yukon 
ill  then  reduce  the  cost  of  the  necessaries 

:les  necessary  in  an  outfit  for  a  man  one  year 
but  the  following  is  said  by  experienced 
very  demand: 

THING— 75  lbs.,  $ioo. 

1  pair  rubber  tiip  boots. 

2  wuoltn  sweaters. 

3  pairs  heavy  blankets. 
1  dozen  towels.  ' 
6  pairs  overalls. 
1  suit  oil  clothing. 
1  suit  corduroy. 

1  suit  tleece-lined  duck. 

2  r\ibber  blankets. 
1  sleeping  bag  and  1  oil  blanket. 
1  pair  felt  boots. 
1  pair  heavy  rubber  overshoes. 

)ber  boots.       Roll  of  flannel  for  insoles,  wrapping 
the  feet  and  bandages. 

:ERIES— 1,125  lbs.,  $85. 

5  pounds  yeast. 

■    5  pounds  soda. 

10  pounds  salt. 

1  pound  pepper. 
54  pound  mustard. 
M  pound  ginger. 
5  pounds  evaporated  onions. 

2  dozen  condensed  milk. 
5  bars  tar  soap, 
5  bars  laundry  =oap. 
1  large  tin  box  matches. 
1  quart  evaporated  vinegar. 
Assortment  soup  tablets. 
Tobacco  to  suit. 

LND  camp  outfit— 200  lbs.,  $50. 

C  teaspoons.  < 

3  tablespoons. 
1  compass. 

1  hunter's  ax  and  sheath. 
1  drawing  kni'j. 
1  magnifying  glass. 
1  mLxing  spoon. 
■"      1  dust  belt. 

1  whetstone. 

2  granite  cups. 
1  frypan. 

•    1  retinned  dishpan. 
1  four-quart  coffee  pot. 
1  coffee  mill. 
1  granite  kettle,  retinned  cover. 

3  granite  plates. 
1  whipsaw. 

\  gold  scale. 
1  sled. 
'  1  tent. 

1  sheetiron  stove. 
1  box  candles. 
iach).  1  spirit  thermometer  (mercury  freezes  I. 

5DIC1NBS— 5  lbs.,  $10. 

1  ounce  tincture  iron. 
8  ounces  cough  mixture. 
1  bottle  toothache  drops. 

1  bottle  vaseline. 

2  drams  iodoform. 
2  yards  lint. 

54  dozen  assorted  bandages.  - 

2  feet  rubber  adhesive  plasters. 

4  ounces  absorbent  cotton. 
Monsell's  salts  for  hemorrhages,  in 

quantity  in  accordance  with  tlie 
person's  liability  to  attacks  of  the 
trouble. 
1  pair  smoked  glasses  to  prevent 
snow  blindness. 


at. 


«  \ 


ARMAMENT— 20  lbs.,  $24. 


1  repeating  rifle,  30-30,  with  reloading 
tools,  and  100  rounds  of  brass-shell 
cartridges. 

1  large  hunting  knife  and  an  assort- 
ment of  lishing  tackle. 


.■\  shotgun  or  revolver  might  be  sul)- 

stituted  for  tlie  ritle. 
The  Canadian    law    against    carrvnig 

concealed  weapons  is  rigidly  enforced 

by  the  mounted  police. 


niSCELLANEOUS-2  lbs.,  $3. 


1  package  asserted  needles. 
'J  spools  linen  thread. 

'J  dozen  bachelor  buttons. 

2  papers  safety  pins. 
1  book  nf  pins. 

1  spool  of  tape. 

1  pail  medium  scissors. 


4  pads  note  paper,  with  blotter. 

50  good  envelopes. 

1  bottle  ink  1  in  metal). 

1  indelible  pencil  (extra  leads  1. 

25  U.  S.  and  Canadian  postage  stamps 

(and  holders  I. 
1  pen  hoklir  and  pens. 


Cost  and  weight  can  be  materially  rciluced  by  prospectors 
travelinfj  in  party,  so  that  one  camping,  hardware,  armament  ami 
medicine  outfit  will  answer  for  two  or  more  persons.  When  men 
intend  to  work  together,  it  would  be  wasteful  and  burdensome  to 
load  up  with  hardware,  tools,  medicine,  etc.,  when  comhinatioiis 
can  be  made.  Outfits  can  be  bought  in  Seattle  from  merchants 
who  understand  the  business  and  know  how  to  pack  for  the  trip. 
A  trunk  is  not  the  thing  to  carry  goods  in;  a  canvas  pack  is  much 
better,  protected  with  oil  skins.  Mark  your  baggage  with  name 
and  address,  and  also  put  on  some  distinctive  characters  in  glar- 
ing colors,  so  that  you  can  easily  identify  your  own  in  the  great 
quantity  of  goods  piled  up  at  landing  places.  Trading  companies 
in  *he  Klondike  region  are  American,  and  buy  their  goods  mainly 
at  Seattle  and  pay  duty  on  entering  Canadian  territory.  If  there 
was  any  considerable  saving  by  the  purchase  of  goods  m  Canadian 
ports,  they  would  avail  themselves  of  the  chance,  but  the  way  to 
the  Klondike  is  through  American  territory.  Canada  exenipts 
from  all  duty  miners'  blankets,  personal  clothing  in  use,  tent, 
])roken  packages  of  provisions  being  used,  also  cooking  utensils 
in  use  and  100  pounds  of  food  for  the  journey,  charging  ordinary 
customs  duty  on  everything  in  e.vcess  of  this  amount.  The  duty 
is  about  the  same  charged  by  the  United  States  on  Canadian 
goods. 

THE  GRUB  STAKE. 

A  good  many  prospectors  who  have  gone  to  Alaska  have  been 
furnished  with  means  for  the  purchase  of  supplies,  tools,  transpor- 
tation, etc.,  by  friends,  who,  under  a  contract,  are  to  share  equallv 
in  the  profits,  which  includes  part  ownership  of  any  claims  located, 
discovered  or  purchased,  or  of  any  metal  that  may  be  mined. 
The  prospector  agrees  to  devote  his  whole  time  and  effort  to  the 
joint  venture  and  make  faithful  report  of  his  doings.  If  he  fails 
the  money  advanced  and  lost  is  offset  by  his  labor.  As  a  rule 
"grub  stake  "  contracts  are  quietly  made,  for  reasons  personal  to 
the  staker  and  staked.  Ex-Senator  Tabor  of  Colorado,  Tommy 
Cruse  of  Montana,  and  other  well-known  miners  and  operators 
made  their  start  originally  by  being  grub  staked. 

MINING  LAWS. 

The  general  mining  laws  of  the  United  States  apply  to  Alaska. 
Claims,  usually  called  "placers,"  including  all  forms  of  deposits 
excepting  veins  of  quartz  or  other  rock  in  place,  are  subject  to  en- 
try and  patent.  No  single  individual  can  locate  more  than  twenty 
acres  of  placer  land,  and  no  location  can  be  made  by  any  com- 
pany, composed  of  no  less  than  eight  bona  fide  locators,  exceed- 
ing 160  acres.  The  price  per  acre  of  placer  claims  is  $2. 50. 
Where  placers  contain  veins  or  lodes  the  cost  per  acre  is  gq.oo. 
Rules  not  conflicting  with  this  can  be  made  in  any  state  or  terri- 
tory, and  it  is  not  uncommon  for  miners  to  establish  smaller  sized 
claims,  and  this  is  the  case  in  Alaska,  where  the  ground  is  hard 
to  work.  When  a  new  district  is  discovered  the  miners  agree  to 
this  and  select  a  Recorder  of  Claims,  provided  no  regular  gov- 
ernment official  is  on  hand. 

The  Canadian  authorities  have  ruled  that  placer  claims  in  the 
Yukon  district  shall  not  exceed  looxioo  feet,  and  only  alternate 


claims  can  be  occupied,  the  others  reinaiiiiiij,'  in  the  hands  of  the 
government  to  be  sold  for  its  benefit.  An  entry  fee  of  P15.00  is 
charged,  and  there  is  an  annual  fee  besides  of  $100.  A  royalty  of 
ten  per  cent,  is  charged  where  the  output  amounts  to  S500  a  week, 
and  twenty  per  cent,  where  it  is  over  J500. 

There  are  various  rc<iuiremcnts  necessary  to  follow  in  securing 
patent  to  a  claim  under  the  laws  of  both  countries,  and  these  are 
to  be  had  in  printed  form  in  all  the  mining  camps.  It  will  pay 
every  prospector  to  watch  and  carefully  comply  with  all  regula- 
tions and  stipulations  set  forth  by  both  governments.  The  Gold 
Commissioner  of  the  Canadian  Dominion  is  vested  with  extraor- 
dinary powers  and  the  Klondike  regiim  is  under  his  authority. 

LAW  AND  ORDER. 

Notwithstanding  the  absence  of  organized  government  in  the 
new  district,  there  is  a  surprising  regard  for  life  and  property 
rights.  Few  cases  of  disorder  or  theft  have  been  reported,  and  no 
dangerous  or  fatal  assaults  have  occurred.  The  miner  stands  so 
much  in  need  of  protection  for  his  life  and  property  that  he  is 
deeply  concerned  in  maintaining  a  strong  government.  He  with 
his  associates  join  together  in  preserving  order,  and  willingly 
assist  the  few  officials  sent  to  represent  the  home  authorities.  The 
Dominion  has  mounted  police  at  all  principal  points  in  its  territory 
and  the  Tnited  States  War  Department  intends  to  send  in  troops. 
There  has  also  been  established  two  L'nited  States  courts.  There 
is  no  more  danger  to  person  or  property  in  the  placer  fields  of 
Alaska  and  Northwest  Territory  than  in  any  ordinary  community, 
and  not  as  much  as  in  certain  districts  of  the  large  cities.  Alaska  is 
in  the  revenue  district  of  (Jregon,  and  the  laws  of  that  state  apply. 

METHODS  OF  PLACER  MINING. 

There  are  three  methods  employed  by  miners  in  working  placer 
ground  : 

ist.  PANNING.  This  is  by  means  of  a  broad  shallow  dish 
made  of  iron  or  copper.  Into  this  the  miner  lifts  a  shovelful  of 
gravel  and  sand.  He  then  puts  in  water  enough  to  fill  the  pan 
and  gives  a  few  whirls  and  snakes,  which  tends  to  settle  the  gold 
to  the  bottom  on  account  of  its  greater  weight.  The  dish  is  then 
shaken  in  such  a  way  that  the  gravel  and  sand  are  washed  out, 
leaving  the  yellow  treasure  at  the  bottom,  mixed  with  black  sand 
or  pulverized  iron  ore.  If  the  gold  is  fine  it  can  be  gathered  with 
quicksilver,  forming  amalgam.  So  far  the  Yukon  miner  has  not 
troubled  hmiself  to  save  the  fine  gold.  Panning  has  been  the 
most  common  method  in  Alaska. 

2d.  ROCKING.  A  rocker  is  simply  a  box  about  three  feet 
long  and  two  feet  wide,  made  in  two  parts,  the  top  part  being 
shallow,  with  a  heavy  sheet  iron  bottom  full  of  quarter-mch  holes. 
The  other  part  of  the  box  is  fitted  with  an  inclined  shelf  about 
midway  in  its  depth,  which  is  six  or  eight  inches  lower  at  its 
lower  end  than  at  its  upper.  Over  this  is  placed  a  piece  of  heavy 
woolen  blanket.  The  whole  is  then  mounted  on  two  rockers, 
much  resembling  those  of  an  ordinary  cradle,  and,  when  in  use, 
they  are  placed  on  two  blocks  of  wood,  so  that  the  whole  may  be 
easily  rocked.  After  the  miner  has  selected  his  claim,  he  looks 
for  the  most  convenient  place  to  set  his  "rocker,"  which  must  be 
near  a  good  supply  of  water.  Then  he  proceeds  to  clear  away  all 
the  stones  and  coarse  gravel,  gathering  the  finer  gravel  and  sand 
near  the  rocker.  The  shallow  box  on  top  is  filled  with  this,  and 
with  one  hand  the  miner  rocks  it,  while  with  the  other  he  ladles  in 
water.  The  finer  matter,  with  the  gold,  falls  through  the  holes  on 
the  blanket,  which  checks  its  progress  and  holds  the  fine  particles 
of  gold,  while  the  sand  and  other  matter  passes  over  it  to  the  bottom 
of  the  box,  which  is  sloped  so  that  what  comes  through  is  washed 
downward  and  finally  out  of  the  box.  Across  the  bottom  of  the 
box  are  fixed  thin  slats,  behind  which  mercury  is  placed  to  catch 
any  particles  of  gold  which  may  escape  the  blanket.  If  the  gold 
is  nuggety  the  largest  are  found  in  the  upper  box,  their  weight 
detaining  them  until  all  the  lighter  stuff  has  passed  through,  and 
the  smaller  ones  are  held  by  a  deeper  slat  at  the  outward  end  of 
the  bottom  of  the  box.  The  piece  of  blanket  is  at  intervals  taken 
out  and  rinsed  into  a  barrel.  If  the  gold  is  fine,  mercury  is  placed 
at  the  bottom  of  the  barrel  and  amalgam  formed.    The  process  is 


continueil  until  enough  aiiiaigain  has  l)ccii  fonnc<l  to  [).iy  tor 
roasting  or  firing.  It  is  then  stiuec/.ed  through  a  buckskin  bag, 
all  the  mercury  that  comes  through  the  bag  i)eiiig  put  back  into 
the  barrel  to  serve  again,  and  what  leinaiiis  in  the  bag  is  placed 
in  a  retort,  if  the  miner  has  one,  or,  if  not,  on  a  shovel,  .iiid  lieated 
until  nearly  all  the  mercury  is  vaporized;  the  gold  then  remains 
in  a  lump,  with  some  mercury  still  held  in  coiiibiiiatioii  with  it. 
3d.  SLUICING.  This  method  is  employed  when  possible. 
It  recpiires  a  good  su[)ply  of  water  with  sufficient  head  or  fall. 
The  process  is  as  follows:  Planks  arc  procureil  and  fonneil  into 
a  box  of  suitable  width  and  depth.  Slats  are  fixed  across  the  bot- 
tom of  the  box  at  suitable  intervals,  or  shallow  holes  bored  in  the 
bottom  ill  such  order  that  no  i)article  could  run  along  the  bottom 
in  a  straight  line  aiul  escape  without  running  over  a  hole.  .Sev 
eral  of  these  boxes  are  then  set  up  with  a  considerable  slope  ami 
are  titted  into  one  another  at  the  em's  like  a  stovepipe.  A  stream 
of  water  is  now  directed  into  the  upper  end  of  the  highest  box, 
and  the  gravel  having  been  collected  as  in  the  case  of  the  rocket, 
It  is  shoveled  into  the  upper  box  and  is  washed  downward  by  the 
strong  current  of  water.  The  gold  is  detained  by  its  weight  anil 
is  held  by  the  slats  or  the  holes  mentioned.  If  it  is  line,  mercury 
is  placed  behind  the  slats  or  in  these  holes  to  catch  it.  In  this  way 
about  three  times  as  much  dirt  can  be  washed  as  by  the  rocker, 
and  consecpientlv  three  times  as  much  gold  is  secured,  in  a  given 
time.  After  the  boxes  are  done  with,  they  are  burned  and  the 
ashes  washed  for  the  gold  held  in  the  wood. 

COOK  INLET  DISTRICT. 

This  body  of  water  is  about  600  miles  west  by  north  of  Sitka 
and  trails  connect  it  with  the  Kuskokwim  River,  the  second 
largest  stream  in  Alaska,  and  with  the  Tanana  and  Yukon.  A 
good  deal  of  placer  mining  is  being  done  along  the  shores  of 
tributary  streams,  several  hundred  men  finding  employment  in 
mining  and  tishing,.there  being  three  canneries.  Large  deposits 
of  coal  exist,  which  are  described  by  Prof.  Dall  in  his  report 
to  the  government  on  the  "Coals  and  Lignites  of  Alaska."  The 
schooner  Hertha  arriveil  at  .Seattle  in  October  from  Cook  Inlet 
with  nearly  one  hundred  miners  having  from  #500  to  S2o,ooo  each, 
or  a  total  of  a  quarter  of  a  million  between  them,  the  result  of  a 
year's  work.  Among  the  party  was  A.  P.  Vinnedge,  a  well-known 
citizen  of  Seattle,  who  saia: 

"  The  Cook  Inlet  country  is  big  with  poss'bilitics.  Its  rfsources  have  been  liut 
partially  explored.  For  several  weeks  l)elui(.  I  lelt  several  claims  were  paving 
f  150  to  $175  per  liay.  Were  it  not  for  the  Klondike  reccjrds  this  would  be  con- 
sidered big  money.  Oiirgold  dust  sells  lor  Ji6.;o  at  the  mint.  An  ounce  of  gold 
dust  per  man  per  day  diggings  is  about  the  average  of  the  wIkjIu  district,  altliough 
on  one  claim  on  Mills  Creek  two  men  took  out  Ji.^oo  in  ten  liours.  They  used 
only  a  pan  and  rocker.  Several  hydraulic  outlits  will  be  sent  up  next  spring  and 
work  will  be  done  on  a  much  larger  scale.  A  California  outht  of  six  men  at  the 
mouth  of  Six-Mile  Creek  has  an  immense  bar  of  gravel.  They  will  bring  down 
about  $15,000  on  a  ship  to  leave  later,  the  greater  part  of  whicli  will  be  p'.it  into  a 
hydraulic  outfit.  They  did  a  great  deal  of  ditcli  work  this  year,  or  they  wjuld 
have  more  money  to  bring  out.  .\  large  vein  cjf  free-milling  gold  quartz  was  dis- 
covered just  before  I  left.  It  was  located  on  the  slope  of  Nit.  Kenai.and  a  ledge 
13  feet  in  width  assayed  nearly  Si.ooo  to  the  ton  in  gold.  There  are  two  mining 
districts— Resurrection  and  Sunrise.  The  Sunrise  district  c<msists  of  Six-.\Iile 
Creek  and  its  various  tributaries,  and  the  Resurrection  district  of  Resurrection 
Creek  and  its  small  branches.  The  ground  on  both  of  thi.se  creeks  and  their 
branches  lias  been  located  in  continuous  claims.  Sunrise  City,  at  the  mouth  ol 
Six-Mile  Creek,  is  the  Dawson  of  the  district.  The  claims  liegin  at  the  outskirts 
of  the  town  and  run  up  river.  Both  Resurrection  and  Sunrise  creeks  empty  into 
the  northern  part  of  tlie  inlet, within  a  short  distance  of  each  other.  Sunrise  City 
is  a  typical  Alaskan  mining  camp  town.  It  consists  of  aliout  twenty-five  log 
cabins  and  si.\  frame  store  buildings.  One  of  these  is  occupied  bv  the  Sunrise 
Hotel,  two  are  used  as  saloons,  and  the  others  by  the  .\laska  Commercial  Com- 
pany and  the  United  States  .Mercantile  Company.  I  he  town  is  on  the  i:i]v.s  of  a 
small  building  boom,  and  a  great  deal  of  lumber  has  been  taken  in  this  summer. 
The  miners  either  live  in  cabins  on  their  claims  or  in  town.  .Ml  are  comfortable 
the  whole  year  round." 

The  Russians  established  several  colonies  along  the  shores  of 
the  inlet,  where  they  engaged  in  raising  crops  and  cattle.  The 
inlet  has  a  good  climate;  the  Russians  called  it  "Summer  Land." 
It  is  a  veritable  pleasure  resort  on  account  of  its  scenery,  hunting 
and  fishing,  A  chain  of  active  volcanoes,  snowy  peaks  and 
glaciers  is  in  sight,  and  lofty  waterfalls  leap  from  rocky  cliffs.  Hot 
springs  occur  on  the  forested  slopes.  Ola  Fort  Kenai  stands  on 
the  eastern  shore,  and  Mt.  Iliamna,  from  whose  double  crater 
smoke  is  always  rising,  lies  to  the  west,  and  near  by  is  the  largest 
lake  in  Alaska,  Iliamna,  go  by  60  miles  in  size. 

10 


THH  COPPER  RIVKR  COUNRTY. 

This  stream  is  iihout  .»c»  miles  loii^,'  ami  very  erratic  \n  its 
course  amori),'-  the  iiioimtaiiis.  The  Indians  of  this  rc^'ion  do  con- 
siderable- miniiii;  and  liave  a  [irocess  of  hardening;  copjier,  which 
is  said  to  make  it  as  Iiard  as  steel.  'Ihey  have  brouglu  in  nuj,'j,'ets 
of  j,'oUl  to  the  trading  station  and  the  behef  is  that  rich  discoveries 
of  the  metal  will  yet  be  made.  The  country  has  been  very  little 
explored.  The  river  has  a  delta  mouth  5x30  miles  on  the  coast, 
about  450  miles  west  of  .Sitka.  The  u|)per  waters  of  the  river  can 
be  reached  by  trail  from  Cook  Inlet.  Moats  leave  .Seattle  at  regu- 
lar intervals  for  Copfter  River  and  Prince  William  Sound.  The 
Steamer  "Townsend  "  will  leave  Fort  Townsend  February  i  and 
every  twenty  days  thereafter  for  same  ports. 

A  LARGE  LAND. 

Alaska  is  the  Russian  America  of  ihe  old  maps.  The  first  white 
m';u,  Hering  and  his  associates,  to  reach  its  shores  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  in  search  of  furs,  gave  Russia  title  under  right  of 
discovery.  Pribilof  discovered  the  Seal  Islands  in  I7(/).  The 
Russian  American  Fur  Company  was  chartered  by  the  Czar  in 
1800.  Sitka  was  founded  in  1801.  The  mainland  is  estimated  to 
contain  580,000  square  miles,  the  islands  of  Alexander  Archipelago, 
31,200,  and  the  Aleutian  Islands,  6,400,  making  a  grai  !  total  of 
617,600  scjuare  miles,  an  area  greater  than  the  entire  I'nion  east  of 
the  Mississippi.  The  United  .States  bought  the  country  in  1867 
for  57,200,000,  two  cents  an  acre,  the  largest  real  estate  deal  of 
history. 

IMMENSE   WEALTH. 

An  eminent  authority  upon  Alaska  in  an  address  recently 
delivered  in  an  eastern  city  has  this  to  say  about  the  future  of  the 
Yukon  region: 

"  Bonanza  and  Eldorado  creeks  afford  Ijetwuen  thfiii  27H  claims;  the  several 
affluents  will  yield  as  many  more,  and  ill  of  these  claims  are  good.  1  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying  that  100  of  tliosoon  Bonanza  will  yielil  upwards  of  »3o,ooo,ooo. 
Claim  thirty  on  Eldorado  will  yield  a  million  in  itself,  and  ten  otliers  will  yield 
from  iioo,ooo  upward.  These  two  creeks  will,  I  am  quite  confident,  turn  nit 
iron)  $60,000,000  to  $75,000,000  and  1  can  safely  say  that  there  is  no  other  region  in 
the  world  of  the  same  extent  that  has  alfordeil  in  the  same  length  of  time  so  many 
homestakes -fortunes  enabling  the  owners  to  go  home  and  enjoy  the  remainder 
of  their  days.''  *  *  *  "We  must  have  from  i)o,ooo  to  100,000  S(iuare  miles, 
which,  with  propercare,  judicious  handling  and  better  facilities  for  the  trans- 
portation of  food  and  utensils,  will  be  the  largest,  as  it  is  the  richest  gold  field 
the  world  has  ever  known."  *  *  *  "That  country  offers  to  men  of  great  forti- 
tude and  some  intelligence  and  steadiness  an  opportunity  to  make  more  money  in 
a  given  time  than  they  poosi!  ly  could  make  anywhere  else.  They  will  have,  of 
course,  a  good  deal  to  contend  with.''  *  *  *  •■  1  object  to  the  use  of  the  name 
Klondike,  because  that  is  so  small  a  portion  of  the  territory  up  there  in  the 
Yukon  region,  in  Cii.iiparison  with  which  the  area  of  the  Klondike  would  not 
compare  any  more  than  my  hand  wouUl  with  that  blackboard,  and  nearly  all  that 
vast  stretch  of  country  has  yet  to  be  prospected.  " 

CLIMATE  OF  ALASKA. 

The  climates  of  the  ct)ast  and  interior  are  unlike  in  many 
respects.  A  strip  of  the  mainland  back  to  the  mountains  and  its 
fringe  of  islands  has  a  temperate  climate  not  unlike  Norway,  with 
little  zero  weather  but  a  heavy  rainfall  and  a  profuse  vegetation. 
The  interior  has  a  wide  range  of  heat  and  cola.  The  mildness  of 
the  coast  is  due  to  the  Japan  current,  a  warm  stream  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean  that  strikes  the  coast  of  British  Columbia,  and  dividing, 
sends  one  branch  northward  to  meet  another  branch  which  strikes 
the  Aleutian  Islands  and  expends  its  force  in  Bering  Sea.  The 
mean  winter  temperature  of  Sitka  is  about  that  of  Washington, 
D.  C.but  the  annual  range  is  less,  running  from  32  degrees  above 
zero  in  winter  to  75  degrees  above  in  summer.  There  is  a  good 
deal  of  foggy  and  cloudy  weather  on  the  coast,  the  clear  days 
averaging  about  66  in  the  year.  The  climate  of  the  interior  is  one 
of  rigorous  cold  in  winter,  with  a  short  hot  summer,  especially 
days  when  the  sky  is  clear.  The  day  of  mid-winter  on  the  upper 
Yukon  has  the  sun  in  sight  less  than  four  hours,  while  in  mid-sum- 
mer it  hardly  gets  dark.  The  records  of  the  Canadian  mounted 
golice  at  Fort  Constantine  during  the  winter  of  1H96-7  showed  the 
rst  zero  weather  on  November  10,  and  the  last  on  April  2g.  It 
never  rose  above  zero  from  December  19  to  February  6.  The 
lowest  temperature  was  65  degrees  below  on  January  27,  and  on 
24  days  it  went  50  below.  The  cold  is  not  ditificult  to  bear  when  a 
man  is  suitably  clothed,  and  the  winter  season  is  better  to  travel  in 
with  dog  sleds  over  snow  and  ice  than  during  the  summer,  when 
the  moss,  which  covers  the  whole  face  of  the  couhtry,  is  wet  and 
the  low  places  are  swampy  and  mosquitoes  troublesome. 


W2fi.^.4 


7  90" 


778" 


776 


774° 


For  further  information  apply  to  or  address  any 
of  the  followinir : 

BOSTON.  MA.8S. 

211  WHHhiriKton  Ht W.  A.  HEWAKl),  Generni  An«nt. 

211  WaHhiiiKion  St I.  I.  FOGO,  TraveliiiK  Agent. 

211  WuHhiiiKton  Ht F.  L.  HOPElt,  TriivelinB  Aueiit. 

2i«  WHHhiiiKtoM  Ht KAYMOND  &  WHITOOMB,  Exc\ir.  A^t  . 

BT7FFALO,  N.Y. 

1244  Guivr mty  HI.Ik GEO.  EIGHMY,  Jr.,  Tfhv.  PuHBenwHr  Agt. 

1244  Oiiurniily  H1(Ik M.  E.  KINSLEY,  Trav.  Freight  Ajent. 

BTJTTE,  MOMT. 

41  N.  Miiiii  Ht J.  E.  DAWSON,  General  Agent. 

CHIOAOO,  ILL. 

220  H.  (!lHrk  Ht W.  M.  LOWIUE.  (inn'l  A««nt  PasH'r  Dept. 

22(1  H.  (MarkHt MAX  UAHH,  General  IniniiKration  A^ent. 

**ol  220  H.  (JlarkHt (JEO.  G.  (!KOHE,  Trav.  I'attH'r  and  Ini.  Agt. 

220  H.  CliirkHt ('.  W.  I'lTTH.  TnivelinK  PasHenaer  Agent. 

220  H.  (Hark  Ht L.  W.  CAMPBELL.  Gen'l  Agt.  Frt.  Dept. 

220  H.  (!!ark  Ht O.  L.  ALLEN ,  Traveling  Freight  Agent. 

CINCINNATI,  O. 

Fifth  and  Walnut  Stw  ..W.  .J.  BYKTH,  General  Agent. 

Fifth  and  VValiuil  8tw...E.  A..70NEH.  Triiveling  I'aKHenger  Agent. 
DEB  MOINES,  IOWA. 

404  WalDiit  Kt H.  .1.  ELLISON,  DiHtrict  PaHsenger  Agent. 

404  Walnut,  St J.  E.  GIBSON,  Trnveling  P..»nenger  Agent. 

DETROIT,  MICH. 

Nor.  S.  S.  (!<>.'h  Dock . . . .  E.  B.  CLAKK,  General  Agent. 

Nor.  H.  S.  (Io.'m  Dock...  a.  J.  CASWELL.  Traveling  Agent. 
DULUTH.  MINN. 

i'M  W.  Superior  St (!.  1).  HARPER,  Northern  PbhhV  .Vgent. 

4a2  W.  Superior  St J  AS.  ItOBERTSON,  Gen'l  Agt.  Frt.  Dept. 

41(2  W.  Superior  Ht G.  M.  BRUSH.  Traveling  Freight  Agent. 

FAROO,  N.  D M.  J.  COHTELLO,  Traveling  Freight  Agt. 

HELENA,  MONT. 

16  N.  Main  St C.  E.  DUTTON,  General  Aeent. 

I.ONDON,  ENG. 

H.  G.  McMICKEN,  European  Traffic  Agt. 

Lu(lgate(!ircuH THOS  COOK  A  SON,  European  Agentn. 

142  Strand H.GAGE&  SONS,  European  Agents. 

MILWAUKEE.  WIS. 

H02  I'alwt  Hldg TAMES  YOUNG,  General  Agent. 

Vn  PaliHt  BIdg W.  M.  RO .MINE,  Traveling  Agent. 

MINNEAPOLIS   MINN. 

m)  Nicollet  Ave V.  D.  JONES,  City  PasH'r  and  Ticket  Agt. 

800  Nicollet  Ave H.  A.  KIMBALL,  Gen'l  Agent  Frt.  Dept. 

MONTREAL,  QUEBEC. 

ntil  Notre  Diime  St W.  G.  McLE:AN,  General  Agent 

'*<>      NEW  YORK. 

S75Bro«dwiiy E.  D.  SPENOEU,  Gen'l  Agent  Pa^B'rDept. 

37.5  Broiidway L.  W.  LAKE,  < ien'l  Agent  Freight  Dept. 

PHILABELPHIA,  PA. 

42  S.  Third  Si A.  C.  HARVEY,  DiHtrict  PaHs'r  Agent. 

42  S.  Third  St T  H.  GRACE,  Gen'l  Agent  Freight  Dept. 

42  S.  Third  St H.  C.  JACOBSEN,  Trav.  Pass'rA  Im.  Agt. 

PITTSBURG,  PA. 

40,5  Fifth  Ave DELANO  LIK!E,  Dirtrict  PaBh'r  Agent. 

4(6  Fifth  Avf R.  H.  MARTIN,  District  Freight  Agent. 

40,5  Fifth  Ave I.  W,  STEVENSON,  Trav.  Freight  Agent. 

PORTLAND,  ORE. 

122  Third  St A. B.C.DENNIS  ION.  City  Pasn'r  A  Tkt.Agt. 

122Tl.ird  Kt Gen'l  Agt.  Freight  Dept. 

6EATTLF   WASH 

612  Front  Ht . . . . .' R.  C.  STEVENS,  Gen'l  West'n  PnHh'r  Agt. 

612  Froi.t  St L.  H.  GRAY.  Gen'l  Agent  Freight  Dei>t. 

612  Front  Kt K.  G.  McMlCKEN.  City  PnsH'r  A  Tkt   Agt. 

(!12  Front  Si I.  A.  MILLER,  Traveling  Agent. 

SPOKANE,  WASH. 

701  W.  KiverHi.le  Ave  ...C.  G.  DIXON,  General  Agent. 

701  W.  RiverHide  Ave....H.  A.  JACKSON,  Traveling  Agent. 
ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 

605  Olive  St W.J.  ?:VANS,  General  Agent. 

505  Olive  St A.  E.  WARD,  Traveling  Agent. 

ST.  PAUL,  MINN. 

109  E.  8d  Ht W.  J.  DUTCH.  City  PaBs'r  and  Ticket  Am. 

(lor.  ad  St.  A  Bro.idway.O.  THORSON.  1  raveling  PaHH'r  Agt. 

Cor.  'dd  St.  A  Broadway. MOSES  FOLSOM.  Immigration  Agent. 

199  E.  3d  St F.  M.STUDLKY.tien'l  Agt.  Freight  Dept. 

Cor. 3d  Ht.  A  Broadwiiv.H.  B.  BRIGGH.  'rraveling  Freight  Agent. 
'♦o  Cor.  8d  St.  A  Broadway.  W.  J.  MAGNER,  Traveling  Freight  Agent. 

TORONTO,  ONT. 

2  Kii)K  Ht.,East WM.  HARDER,  General  Agent. 

WEST  StfPERIOR.  WIS. 

SIS  Tower  Ave W.  K.  ADAMS.  City  Pass'r  and  Ticket  Agt. 

WINNIPEG,  MAN. 

5(WMain  Kt, R.J.  SMITH,  Agent. 


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